Trolley pole arrester



June 5, 1951 Y w. us 2,555,797

TROLLEY POLE ARRESTER Filed March 8, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet l 37 35 m Frederick W. Krbuse INVEN TOR. V L 8) Qt.

M -Mg June 5, 1951 F. w. KRAUSE TROLLEY POLE ARRESTER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 8, 1948 u l W m 6 6 k M.

Frederic/r W. Krause JNVENTOR.

BY W

Patented June 5, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TROLLEY POLE ARRESTER Frederick W. Krause, Carmichaels, Pa.

Application March 8, 1948, Serial No. 13,561

The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in trolley poles and more particularly to means for arresting the upward swinging movement of the pole should the pole accidentally leave the trolley line.

The invention is designed particularly for use with electric locomotives of mine cars and similar industrial equipment and the invention has for its primary object to arrest the sudden upward movement of the pole should the same accidentally leave the wire to prevent the pole striking the roof, steel beams or other overhead structure of the mine and which frequently results in breakage or other damage to the pole.

More specifically, the invention embodies the provision of a dash-pot mechanism including a piston to which the base of the pole is attached to retard the sudden upward movement of the pole and thus enable the operator to reach the pole for again placing the same on the line before any damage results thereto.

A further object of the invention is to provide v dash-pot arresting means for the pole and including a hydraulic cylinder with piston working therein and providing valves in the piston to control the sudden movement thereof.

A still further object is to provide a device of this character of simple and practical construction, which is efiicient and reliable in operation, relatively inexpensive to manufacture and install in operative position in a mine locomotive and which otherwise is well adapted for the purposes for which the same is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure l is a side elevational view of a mine locomotive equipped with the present invention and with parts broken away and shown in section;

Figure 2 is an enlarged top plan view of the pivotal supporting base for the pole;

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially on a line 33 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of the dash-pot;

Figure 5 is an enlarged transverse sectional view taken substantially on a line 55 of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the spring actuated check valve, and

2 Claims. (01. 191-68) Figure 7 is a sectional view taken on a line 1--1 of Figure 6.

Referring now to the drawings in detail wherein for the purpose of illustration I have disclosed a preferred embodiment of the invention, the numeral 5 designates a conventional type or mine locomotive having an opening 6 in the top I thereof and in which a cylinder 8 is secured by means of a flange or collar 9 suitably secured to the cylinder in engagement with the underside of the top I and with a pole supporting base it resting on top of the locomotiv and to which the top of the cylinder 8 is threaded.

One end of the base it is provided with a pair of spaced apart upstanding apertured ears H having a pin [2 positioned therein and on which the socket it for receiving the lower end of a trolley pole Hi is pivoted. The socket i3 is formed with an arm i5 which overlies an opening It in base In and to which the upper end of a piston rod [1 is attached.

The piston rod extends downwardly through the opening l6 into the cylinder 3 and has a piston 18 secured to its lower end, the piston being composed of upper and lower plates 19 and 20 with a flexible washer such as leather or the like 2| held therebetween.

Light oil or other suitable liquid is placed in the cylinder 8 and the top of the cylinder is sealed by a flexible substantially conical shaped cover 22 secured at its lower central portion to the piston rod IT by a clamp 23 and having its upper edges secured in the top of cylinder 8 by retaining rings 24.

A pair of openings or passages 25 extend through piston l8 and are closed by ball checks Z6 retained in cages 2'! by transverse pins 28, the cages being formed at the underside of the lower plate 20.

A third passage 29 is provided in piston I8 controlled by a valve 30 in the lower end of a neck 3| extending downwardly from lower plate 20, the valve having a stem 32 slidable in a spider 33 in the neck and against which a coil spring 34 is held for opening the valve.

A bleed port 35 is also provided in piston l8.

In order to prevent dirt entering the opening l6 of base II] I provide a rectangular shaped recess 36 in the top of base it in which a cover plate 31 is freely slidable to at all times cover opening I6 and through which piston rod H extends to slide the cover plate forwardly and rearwardly by the raising and lowering movement of pole M.

A coil spring 38 in cylinder 8 above piston 13 3 forces the piston downwardly to hold the pole M in its raised position for travelling along power line 39.

In the operation of the device, the spring 38 maintains a constant downward force on piston 18 and piston rod H to hold the pole Id upwardly to travel on power line 39. In normal operating position of pole Id of electric locomotive 5, valves 26 and 38 are open and when pole l4 jumps from line 39 spring 38 will lower piston l8 and raise pole I l. The initial sudden downward movement of piston l8 will close valves 26 and 30 to retard movement of the piston, the bleed port 35 allowing fluid compressed in the bottom of cylinder 8 to pass slowly above the piston so that the raising movement of pole M is slowedto a speed which will afiord sufficient time-for the motorman to reach the pole before the same strikes the roof of the mine and replace-the pole on the line 39.

The: manual lowering movement of the pole will quickly open valves 26 and 3D to prevent compression of fluid in, the upper portion of the cylinder and thus avoid retarding of the lowering of the pole.

In order to maintain the parts of the piston H! in a fixed position to align the several ports therein, I provide an aligning pin 40 which threads into lower plate '20 and extends upwardly through openings (not shown) in the leather washer 20a and upper plate [9.

Having described the invention what is claimed as new is:

1. A trolley pole snubber comprising a cylinder, means securing the cylinder in a fixed recessed position in. the top of a car and including a pole base secured to the cylinder on top of the cap, a pole pivoted to the base and including an arm overlying the base, a valved piston working in the cylinder, a piston rod connecting the piston to the arm, spring means in the cylinder and engaging the piston to raise the pole, said base having an enlarged opening for receiving the piston rod, and a sealing plate for the opening slidably receiving the piston rod and movable with the piston rod during its tilting movement when the pole is raised.

2. A trolley pole snubber comprising a vertical cylinder, means securing the cylinder in a fixed recessed position in the top of a car and including a pole base on the top of the cylinder and having an opening, a pole pivoted to the base and including an arm overlying the opening in the base, .a valved piston working in the cylinder, a piston rod connected to the piston and extending upwardly through. the opening with free REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 717,414 Kilbourn Dec. 30, 1902 1,036,286 Lynch Aug. 20,. 1912 2,437,213 Slomer Mar. 2, 1948 

